Royal Matchmaker

Chapter Seven

A short drive later and Prince Jack found himself walking the halls of the St James Community Centre, looking at the many pictures on the walls – all done by the children and adults of the town who had attended art classes there. He glanced into various rooms until finally he came to the main room, entering to discover that it was a large hall with an indoor playground in front of a small stage at the far end, while the area closer to the door held tables and chairs. His favourite part of the room were the shelves laden with books and art supplies that lined the left wall.

Trailing behind Jack were Ianto and Gwen, the teacher he and Tosh had met a few days earlier at the fund-raising bake sale.

"It's not every day royalty walks through the door!" she gushed quietly.

"I'm sure," Ianto laughed. "I've been explaining to Prince Jack the importance of the community centre and the whole plight with the heating right now…" He gestured towards the children wearing their coats indoors while clustered around the story circle, listening to a tale about a wee mouse named Sydney who lived in a teapot named Earl.

As Jack wandered over to a table where children of various ages were busy at work drawing things and working on craft projects, Gwen addressed him, feeling compelled to explain. "Our budget is always being tested, forcing us to decide between art and people, or cutting programs." She sighed deeply. "We're barely keeping the lights on three day a week for the afterschool program."

"That's the one Rudy likes so much, Your Highness," Ianto called out; she'd paused to watch a small boy paint the face of a ceramic angel with painstaking, tongue-in-the-corner-of-his mouth intensity.

Gwen nodded, "We used to be a full-service community centre with adult education and a sports program."

"Have you applied for a grant from the National Trust?" Jack inquired.

"Yes," Gwen sighed deeply and shrugged her shoulders. "But all we've gotten is the run-around."

"Huh…" Jack frowned as he looked around the room.

"So right now, Gwen is raising money to replace the heating system, but it's a very slow process and if things continue the way that they're going, they're going to have to close the place for good."

"Gosh, I wish there was an easy fix," Jack offered, knowing he sounded inane. "These things are quite tricky." A thought struck, "I might be able to put in a word with Board of Governors…" He saw Gwen's face light up and felt awful when he had to add, "but I can't promise anything."

"That would be amazing," Gwen still felt hopeful despite the warning.

"But in the meantime," Jack went over and placed his hand on the cold radiator, "let me see what I can do about warming the place up."

Ianto stood watching Jack with a look of pride on his face; his hastily conceived plan was beginning to come together.

"Would you mind if I came back at some point?" Jack sounded hesitant, as though unsure of his welcome.

"We would be honoured!"

Owen suddenly appeared out of nowhere. "Pardon me for interrupting, Sir, but we have a ribbon cutting at Franklin Square in twenty minutes."

Gwen turned and her eyes widened with surprise. "Owen Harper? Of course, you must be Rudy's father; I thought that name sounded familiar!"

"Gwen Paisley, you haven't changed a bit."

"You're too kind." A slight blush made Gwen's cheek turn pink. "Neither have you."

Aware that Jack and Ianto were looking at them, Owen explained, "Gwen and I were at secondary school together. She was voted most likely to succeed." He chuckled uncomfortably, "I guess I was a bit of a late bloomer, I suppose."

"Well, better late than never," Gwen smiled at him.

Catching Jack's eye, Owen turned to go. "I suppose we'd better… umm…"

"Yes, duty calls." Jack stepped up next to Owen, offering him silent support. It was obvious from the look on Gwen's face that she hoped Jack would stay longer, but "a ribbon needs… umm… cutting apparently," and smiling apologetically, he allowed Gwen to escort him to the door.

"Thank you so much, Your Highness," Gwen murmured, walking slowly so that Jack could take one last look around.

Owen and Ianto walked side-by-side as they followed Jack. "For someone who claims to have been so shy back in the day you certainly made a lasting impression on her." Ianto couldn't resist gently teasing the valet.

"Yes, well, she probably just has a good memory, that's all."

"You may have missed your big chance back then, but there's no time like the present," Ianto prompted.

"No," Owen declined firmly. 'I have my eye set on someone else,' he thought, remembering the shy but warm way Toshiko had smiled at him over the past few days. Like himself, he saw someone who was very intelligent but who was content to stay behind the scenes getting things done.

Based on her continuing research, Toshiko was rearranging the photographs of their potential candidates on her bulletin board when she heard the door open. Hoping it might be Owen, although her little voice told her that he would have knocked first, she turned to see Ianto coming in.

"Hi!"

Ianto gave her a weary smile. "Hi." He tossed his overcoat onto a chair as he crossed the room towards her. "Wow."

"Yeah?"

"Oh yeah," Ianto confirmed. "Two dedications, a ribbon cutting, another unveiling…"

"Wow!"

"And we still managed to make it to the St James Community Centre. The prince seems genuinely moved by their plight."

"Well, it looks like our dark prince is finally starting to show his lighter side," Tosh nodded approvingly.

"And just in time." Ianto went over to the table and poured himself a cup of tea, grateful that he'd called ahead to let Toshiko know they were nearly back. "So, we are down to our top ten."

"Uh… well…" Tosh turned back to the board she'd been rearranging and pulled a photo off, "nine, actually."

Ianto grimaced. "What happened?"

"Turns out one of our favourites is away travelling and she's unavailable."

"No!" Ianto took the picture, temporarily abandoning his tea. "Oh, no, not Petra Vulnokovich! I love her!"

"I know, and she would have been one of our very top contenders, too," Tosh sympathised. "But as you know, timing is everything."

"Yeah," Ianto retrieved his tea, in need of its comfort now more than ever. He moved around the desk to study Toshiko's board.

"I guess it's time for you to work your magic," Tosh told him, "and find our prince his perfect princess."

"And I think…" Jack carefully pushed the top rotor on Rudy's model helicopter, "you are good to go!" He beamed at the little boy, just as thrilled as Rudy that the craft project he'd been working on so determinedly was working properly.

"It looks just like a real one," Rudy grinned excitedly.

"It should," Owen approached the table, cup of fragrant coffee in hand. "His Highness used to fly a real one back when he was in the war with the Krahd."

Rudy's eyes widened. "That must have been cool!"

"Not as cool as when he won the Medal of Courage," Owen whispered loudly.

"No! Really?"

Before either man could answer, Ianto stepped down into the kitchen and cleared his throat. It was the first time he'd been below stairs, but one of the footmen had told him that was the best place to find Owen if he wasn't on the main floors.

Owen looked up and saw him, immediately straightening up and returning his coffee cup to the tray. "Come along then, young squire, thank Prince Jack for his assistance and if we finish supper early enough we can kick the ball around."

Jack on the other hand lost the open, happy look he'd worn while helping Rudy and replaced it with a look of guarded awareness.

"Thank you, Your Highness," Rudy smiled at his dad's boss.

"You're welcome," Jack ruffled Rudy's hair affectionately.

Owen and Rudy left the room, Jack stood up and put his jacket back on and the easy familiarity of friends and family was gone.

"So," Ianto approached the prince. "What's on your schedule for today? Do you have a dedication or a ribbon cutting or something?"

"Nope," Jack settled his coat on his shoulders and adjusted the collar. "I had Owen clear my schedule."

Ianto was taken aback. "Oh… what's your plan?"

"Actually, I'm going to work." He set off at a brisk pace, climbing several flights of stairs, forcing Ianto to hurry after him.

"Where are you going?" Ianto was confused. "What do you mean, work?"

"I'm heading off to St James to do what I really love, roll up my sleeves. With any luck I can repair the heating and buy them a little more time."

Into was inordinately pleased. "Look at you! You're a nice guy after all!" and he got closer to him, whacking him on the arm with his notebook, never noticing the surprised look on the prince's face. Jack couldn't remember the last time anyone had hit him without his being in a war zone.

"Thanks?"

"Well, you know what I mean," Ianto frowned at him. "After you get past that whole gruff exterior prince thing…"

"Yes, yes," Jack was beginning to get irritated. He'd planned to simply slip out of the palace for a few hours and return with none the wiser, but now he could tell Ianto was going to make a big deal out of all. "Enough about me, what about you?"

"What what about me?"

"Well, I'm curious," they turned into the main entry hall and Jack stopped, turning to look at him. "Even though you've never found it you still claim to believe that there's one true love out there for us all."

"Yes."

"Then why are you still single?"

Ianto's jaw dropped but before he could respond, the prince continued.

"Is it because you're a perfectionist?"

"What?"

"Control freak?"

Unable to find an immediate answer Ianto found himself making a few nonsensical noises.

"Why is someone who makes a living finding other people the love of their lives still single?" Jack asked his question with a note of satisfaction, sure he'd just stumped the expert.

Hearing the challenge being thrown down, Ianto barely stopped himself from rolling his eyes at the prince. "Okay, fair enough," he acknowledged. "My problem is the closer I am to finding other people a match, the further away I am from understanding exactly what it is that I want."

Jack arched an eyebrow as he observed, "I think we just found your occupational hazard." And with a smug grin he turned to go down the stairs.

"However," Ianto's one word stopped him in his tracks and he turned back around. "I know love. I've seen it in the eyes of my clients. I've watched their lives change because of it. Love speaks for itself." He tried very hard to keep the smugness from his words.

Nonplussed for a moment, Jack just stared at him.

"Speaking of work," Ianto pivoted smartly on his heel and began to walk away. "I'm going to get back to it."

"Uh… what do you mean?" Jack looked at him, then down the stairs and then back at Ianto who was looking askance at him. "I… um… thought you were coming with me to St James."

"I'm sure that would be fun," Ianto grinned at him, "but I'm sure the heating is just fine in your capable royal hands. No, I've got to go meet and vet your girls."

Jack opened and closed his mouth. "Oh… then I take it your research with me is over?"

"No!" Ianto laughed. "It's never over, not until you walk down the aisle and say, 'I do'!" and Jack found it slightly disconcerting to see that there was quite a mad scientist look in his matchmaker's eye.

"Well, that's daunting," Jack's instinct said to take a step back but he held his ground.

"For which one of us?"

The royal eyebrow rose. "Perhaps both," he turned away, and as they went their separate ways he could hear Ianto's laughter following him down the stairs where a servant waited to hand him his toolbox.